Immigration, remittances, and transnational social capital formation: a Cuban case study

“Can We Just Get Rid of the Classroom?” Thinking Space, Relationally

“…I discuss my experience in Cuba in relation to recent scholarship research on academic exchange and social relations as a way of highlighting the importance of spatial relations and strategies in the lives of Cuban teachers. My experience interacts and confirms key observations made in recent scholarship on the prominence of social networks and the negotiation of space in the Cuban context (Eckstein, 2010).…”

“…In this section I reflect on my experience as a trainer with an NGO project as a way to rethink concepts of space. The interactions with Cuban teachers reveals a few themes that are relevant if we are to think of space as something that is used, negotiated, and produced through social networks and academic exchange (Eckstein, 2010;Lutjens, 2006). I discuss my experience in Cuba in relation to recent scholarship research on academic exchange and social relations as a way of highlighting the importance of spatial relations and strategies in the lives of Cuban teachers.…”

“…Given that there is a strong desire to learn more about the teaching profession, I reflected upon the ways that Cuban teachers used spatial strategies to acquire more knowledge related to their profession. The use of networks across spaces and a culture of exchanging information through friends, colleagues, family, neighbors, non-governmental organizations, and tourism are prevalent in recent years (Eckstein, 2010). Teachers' perceptions of school and learning about their profession are not associated with a fixed sense of place; instead, they increase knowledge about their profession through connections with friends and other teachers.…”

“…Teachers' perceptions of school and learning about their profession are not associated with a fixed sense of place; instead, they increase knowledge about their profession through connections with friends and other teachers. Eckstein (2010) advances an argument about the importance of social capital and income sharing from families in the U.S. to their Cuban relatives on the island. Eckstein's research "uncovers the small-scale informal, covert businesses that are built on people-topeople transnational ties and trust" (2010, p. 1659).…”

The economic side of social remittances: how money and ideas circulate between Paris, Dakar, and New York

“…Unequal exchanges, such as remittance transactions, “contribute to and reinforce honor, prestige, and authority” of one actor on the other, Eckstein points out (2010, p. 1651). Consequently, remittances might be reciprocated through recognition of the sender’s moral virtue and “concomitant support of their social standing ” (Åkesson, 2009).…”